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Most haunted places in the West Country

Spine-tingling ghostly experiences await –
are you feeling brave?

From spooky stories around the campfire to flying through forests on zipwires,
we love to be scared. But don't bother with cheesy horror movies and dodgy dressing up - come to the
West Country for real ghoulery thrills... if you dare!Take a peep at the best of the West's
ghostly haunts:

Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon

Deep in a wooded valley, this dramatic ruin within the 15th century defences of the Pomeroy family castle is
said to be one of the most haunted buildings in England, with numerous ghostly sightings and inexplicable
phenomena, including chilled air, odd lights and strange voices. Once intended to be the grandest house
in Devon, its history was troubled and by the 16th century the building was abandoned. [Image credit: Glen Bowman]

The most commonly sighted ghosts are the White Lady and the Blue Lady. The White Lady is believed to be the ghost
of beautiful Margaret Pomeroy, abandoned and starved in the dungeon by her jealous sister Eleanor, who
beckons from the ramparts of Margaret’s Tower. The Blue Lady, with her anguished face, is a death
portent of the Seymour family; it’s said she bore a child by her father, a Norman lord, which was
strangled, either by herself or her father, and today she lures visitors into parts of the castle where
they get lost. [Image credit: Gerry
Labrijn]

Bridport Museum, Dorset

[Image credit: Reading Tom]This 16th century building is steeped in history,
having previously been an inn, a bank and a private house. Is it possible some of its former residents are
here still? Certainly, a figure dressed in black trousers and yellow smoking jacket, often seen
contentedly wandering the building, is thought to be previous owner, Captain Albert Codd. Amongst the
displays, a Victorian dress of fine quality, which was left anonymously at the door of the museum,
is also believed to have a supernatural aura. A young woman is frequently seen guarding the garment. A curator
has even attempted - unsuccessfully - to have it exorcised.

Sedgemoor Battlefield, Somerset

Part of the beautiful, peaceful Somerset Levels, Sedgemoor doesn’t immediately strike you as ghostly. But
this is an ancient battlefield, scene of the last pitched battle in England and haunted by troubled spirits,
which is unsurprising when you delve into its tragic history. In 1685 Sedgemoor was the bloody scene of the last
battle of the Duke of Monmouth’s ‘pitchfork army’ who made their final stand in darkness against the troops of
James II. Armed with little more than farm implements, the 3,500 courageous farmers (of whom Daniel
Defoe was one) were doomed. Those who survived became victims of Judge Jeffrey’s ‘Bloody Assizes’.

There are reports of eerie voices crying in the mist, “Come over and fight!” which was how Monmouth’s farmers
tried to convert the royalist troops to their cause. There’s also the wraith of a young maiden who haunts the
marshes, according to local legend the sweetheart of a labourer who was captured after the battle and
challenged to save his life by outrunning a galloping horse. Famed throughout Somerset as an exceptional runner,
he succeeded, but was still cut down, witnessed by his grief-stricken sweetheart who drowned herself in
the River Carey. If you listen carefully, it’s said her apparition is accompanied by the echo of galloping
hooves and panting breaths in a whoosh of cold air.Duke of
Monmouth [Image credit: Lisby]

Monmouth himself was discovered dressed in shepherd’s
clothing and cowering in a ditch several days after the
battle. He might have remained
anonymous, but for the discovery of the Order of the Garter in his
pocket.
Subsequently executed at the Tower of London, Monmouth is believed to reappear
on Sedgemoor
on the anniversary of the battle.

Jamaica Inn, Cornwall

Jamaica Inn is a real-life ‘Poldark’ scene of intrigue and contraband. Best known to some as the setting for a
Daphne du Maurier novel, the remote 18th century coaching inn in the beautiful wilds of Bodmin Moor has more
than its share of troubled ghostly residents and is one of the most haunted places in the country.

It was a refuge for wreckers smuggling their valuable booty of brandy and tea to Devon
from the ill-fated ships which they lured on to the rocky Cornish coast. Their business seems to be unresolved,
as landlords have reported hearing the ring of disembodied uneasy boots pacing the floors and muttered
conversations within its walls, in a ‘foreign’ language believed to be old Cornish. Horses’ hooves and
wheels echo mysteriously across the cobbles on moonlit nights and a figure in a three-cornered hat and cloak
passes through closed doors.

The bold can venture to Jamaica Inn for a drink or dinner, visit the Smugglers Museum or, if you’re
feeling really intrepid, take part in the monthly murder mystery evening or sign up for a ‘paranormal
investigation’ (very popular – book early!).